Involving communities in shaping digital solutions for innovation in societies and territories

Abstract

The role and potential of digital tools, in supporting citizens and communities who are leading territory-based innovation, is not yet entirely understood. To contribute to addressing this gap, this research conducted two focus groups with two sets of five community-let initiatives. Following a mixed-coding approach, data was analysed to identify the mediation and communication tools that communities use, as well as the purposes of use, and the experiences prompted by the use of those tools. Data was also analysed to develop an understanding of the attributes and features desired in a future digital solution, that could best support communities' activities. Results show that both, small- and larger-sized initiatives, avail of a breath of digital tools to develop their activities, in a scenario where traditional tools continue to hold an important role. Yet, while small-sized initiatives strive to promote their activities and to develop synergies with local peers, larger-sized initiates are more concerned with optimizing digital media use and with continuing to engage in face-to-face interactions, with the multiple agents they work with.